


House of Memories

by whatchamajig



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Multi, One-Sided Attraction, Pining, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2016-11-14
Packaged: 2018-08-30 22:56:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8552746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatchamajig/pseuds/whatchamajig
Summary: Self prompt: Ana and Gabriel aggressively did the Tango in front of new recruits to intimidate them, because those two in sync would be a terrifying combo.





	

**Author's Note:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) im multi-shipper trash and i will not apologize
> 
> find me at whatchamajig.tumblr.com

The Overwatch Remembrance dinner was held in the Switzerland base every year, hosted and paid for by the U.N. and donations for nations who were thankful for the protection the organization had brought them. Despite the reason behind it most Overwatch and Blackwatch agents used it as an excuse to get drunk on company bought alcohol. That, and take someone back to their hotel room to forget the fact that tomorrow could very well be their last. The base is rearranged, doors taken down or locked, until the mess hall and reception area have all be combined into one gathering hall that is used for speeches, dinner, and dancing.

This was Jesse’s third time being here, fourth if the time he came as a trial with Blackwatch is counted, and he still feels like he doesn’t belong. Jesse had never been shy growing up, known for meeting everyone with a smile or straight shoulders depending on the mood; even in Deadlock he had continuously irritated people by his refusal to know when to quit or know who his betters where. A product of his mother, Jesse would boast nothing in this world could hold back the force of nature that is Jesse McCree. Yet, this is different, and Jesse is sure his mother would understand.

These aren’t older boys on the school yard or criminals who are more interested in the profits of the day than some smart-mouthed kid. These are foreign officials, in charge of countries, private militaries, banks, and more. They don’t look twice at Jesse in his get up of boots, slacks, button-up with suit vest, and cowboy hat. They’d no doubt seen odder things in their lifetimes. It grinds Jesse nerves that they’re not looking at him. It's not because they’ve made the conscious effort to make sure he’s below them; he never was on their radar to begin with.

Pushing through the people Jesse makes his way over to the refreshment table, ordering a whisky neat. The server can only stare as Jesse throws the drink back like a pro and orders another. 

“What would Gabriel say if he saw you like this, _akh?_ ” A voice calls behind him and when Jesse looks over his shoulder a grin crosses his face, one that Fareeha returns. Jesse turns around to lean against the table as he eyes the young woman up and down. 

Fareeha is in a black sheath dress with matching black pumps that put her at even height with Jesse; her hair is done up in a bun with a few loose strands falling down on the side of her face and a silver chain with the abjad for Allah at the end of it hangs from her neck. She’s beautiful and turning heads and Jesse feels white hot rage in his stomach every time someone looks at her. Fareeha is still fifteen, still the closest thing he’s ever had to a sister Jesse has no doubts that she could take care of herself, but that didn’t stop the urge to run off every pimply-faced idiot who thought they could get into her pants for a night.

“Honestly? He’d probably berate me for not drinking the entire bottle. You gonna tell on me, Farby?” Jesse cracks a grin as Fareeha doubles over with a laugh. She steps closer and forces him to put the glass down before looping her arm around his and pulling him towards the main floor. 

“Are you kidding? He’d probably make me do laps for being a snitch, regardless of my heels.”

“Well, that’s what you get for coming to cardo in heels.”

“I was going to the mall! _Ummi_ would have killed me if I didn’t say goodbye before I left; that wasn’t my fault.”

She’s dragging him to a part of the hall populated by the teenaged and young adult children of everyone here, Jesse realizes too late. They’re all dressed to the nines in the latest, most expensive fashions and Fareeha rests a reassuring hand on his arm as Jesse shrinks in on himself. Fareeha may not have had the most normal of childhoods but her’s was closer than his and somehow Jesse feels even more like an outsider here than among the older crowd. A few heads to turn to look at them, either mesmerized by Fareeha or repulsed by Jesse, and he tries to pay them no mind. They come to a halt in front of a refreshment table covered in food appropriate for the younger crowd and Jesse jerks his head back just in time to avoid getting covered in cupcake icing as Fareeha tries to force one into his mouth. Fareeha laughs and turns to face the more adult oriented crowd, scanning it carefully.

“ _Ummi_ said she had something special planned for the new recruits tonight. She said it’d happen after Jack- I mean Strike Commander Morrison’s speech.” Both their heads dart around to see if anyone had heard them sound too familiar with Morrison. No one seems to be paying attention to them outside the group of teenagers with French flags pins on their outfits, whispering to one another and pointing in Jesse’s direction. Narrowing his eyes Jesse says nothing and turns to look out into the hall. 

The podium has been cleared from Morrison’s earlier speech, the lights dimmed so it doesn’t draw attention away from the party. Paparazzi and people with holovids occasionally step up to get a picture of the Overwatch seal on the podium but other than that it has sat empty since Morrison stood behind it, Gabriel to his left and Ana to his right. Since then no one had really seen hide or hair of the three of them and any questions about the original strike team were instead being fielded by Reinhardt or Torbjörn, who seemed to be desperately trying to disappear into the crowd. Jesse snickers at the idea that a man as short as Torbjörn was having trouble disappearing into the crowd. 

Loud laughter comes from the back and Fareeha and Jesse turn as one towards the noise. The French teenagers are making their way towards them, sneers seeming to take up most of their faces. Jesse tenses and beside him Fareeha squares her shoulders and takes a subtle step to place herself in front of him. She’s a good sister and knows that while Jesse is a deadly sharpshooter and Blackwatch agent he has no idea how to deal with people who are mean for the sake of being mean. Deadlock and Blackwatch were similar enough in that their agents didn’t bite to cause pain, they snapped to let others know where they stood. 

“I wasn’t aware that the staff was allowed out on the floor.” One of the boys says, taking his spot at the front of the little pack. He eyes the both of them up and down and says something in French to the group behind him.

“He isn’t staff, _ibn il-'aHba_ , he has more standing here than you. _Imshi._ ” Fareeha’s shoulders are tense and she shrugs off Jesse’s hand like it was nothing when she steps forward.

“His mother is Secretary of State in France, _chienne_ , I doubt it.” One of the girls behind the boy sneers, tossing her head back in such a manner that she’s no doubt seen the adults do. The boy at the front pulls out a holovid and holds it up to either take pictures or record a video; either way Jesse flushes and reaches up to remove his hat but Fareeha grabs his arm before he’s able.

“Let him take it off, _chère_. Let him know how ridiculous he looks.” The boy laughs alongside his friends and takes a step closer, pointing his holovid at Jesse. Fareeha meets his step with her own, pushing Jesse back towards the crowd. 

“Go find Gabriel or my mom. _Momken ashouf da?_ ” Fareeha rips the holovid from the boy’s hands, turning quickly on her heel and making her way to the refreshment table where she drops the device into the punch bowl. As she turns to stare at the boy defiantly. Jesse takes the chance to disappear back into the crowd, making his way towards the front of the crowd. Fareeha will join him later, after she’s dealt with the boy. 

The crowds of people a thinning now, the hour late and many people still dealing with the time zone changes. Only Overwatch and Blackwatch agents are staying around, all of them shifting anxiously as they wait. Once the crowd clears out the real party begins, and any sense of formality is dropped to allow the agents to be themselves. There will sparring and drinking and terrible karaoke as they all celebrate in full force. 

As the last non-Overwatch person leaves all the new recruits are called forward. None of them are Blackwatch but Jesse knows there’s a chance that Gabriel might poach one or two after Morrison has his official pick of the litter. The agents of both organization are jeering as the recruits pass through the crowd and laughter fills the room as a few return the jabs. One of the bolder recruits makes a rude gesture to the crowd and someone from the back shouts that they’ll be coming for them. The recruits stand single file facing the podium and those with military experience fall into a parade rest as they wait.

There is no dimming of the lights but a hush falls over the crowd as Gabriel Reyes strides out onto the floor, all eyes on him. He’s wearing a well fitting two-piece suit with no tie, the lapels an off white, with black dress shoes that have been polished so they catch the light. His normal black ear stud hoops on his left ear have been replaced by a brilliant sterling silver. Slowly Reyes looks over the crowd, focusing on the recruits, then the Overwatch agents, and then his own, who he offers a small enough grin that the Blackwatch agents return and use to cut through the disquiet that had fallen over the crowd. Jesse catches his eyes only briefly and he has to turn away, face burning and hands fidgeting with the top button of his vest.

Fareeha sneaks up beside him, nudging him in the ribs and using her eyebrows to ask her questions. Jesse answers with a shrug; this isn’t regulation. Morrison should be on the stage, thanking everyone for their service, telling them what to expect this next year, and then dismissing them to party. The disquiet grows as Gabriel squares his shoulders, arms at his sides, and a pair of dark arms sneak through the gap there to rest possessively on his chest. Turning his head slightly Gabriel’s look heralds in Ana Amari’s emergence and Jesse isn’t sure what’s better: the confused noises from the agents or the way the recruits shift uncomfortably.

They make a pair, with Ana in a phthalo blue wrap dress that doesn’t cover her left shoulder, a pair of silver strappy sandals with heels, and her hair done up in a side bun. Gabriel pulls her close, their noses just barely touching and they turn their eyes as one to look at the crowd with small, private smiles before they’re moving to the music that starts. 

Moving together in sync the two of them dominate the floor, never stepping on each other as they place their legs in between each other and twirl about the floor. Gabriel spins Ana outwards, holding just barely onto her fingers while she drops herself into a backwards into a bow that has her free hand just barely touching the floor. As she comes back up Gabriel pulls her in with such a mock force that Ana places a hand on his chest to stop herself from bowling him over.

“ _Allahi Yekhrib._ ” Fareeha hisses beside him as Gabriel dips Ana, staring at her neck with feverish intensity. Jealousy bubbles in Jesse’s stomach and at first he thinks it’s because he’s not in Gabriel’s place until the man pulls Ana back up, broad hand resting on her outer thigh and teeth brushing against the underside of her jaw. He wants to be in both spots as the other guides him; wants an unhindered view of Ana’s neck; wants Gabriel’s hands on him. Instead he stands among the crowd of people, many of them probably thinking the same thing as Jesse. Only they’re not twenty-one and just now experiencing attraction without the fear of a knife in their back if the relationship does south.

The music reaches a crescendo and Ana stands tall, her arms raised above her, as Gabriel pulls her flush against him. They stay like that for just a moment before they’re spinning across the floor, legs slipping in between each others and occasionally kicking out. While Jesse doesn’t move he can see a few Blackwatch lean around peer at the recruits, some of whom are pulling at their collars, and he doesn’t blame them, honestly. Both Gabriel and Ana’s reputation are blown out of proportion by the media, because Ana didn’t take down two Bastion units with a knife at close range (she did it with a broken rifle) and Gabriel certainly didn’t rip off an omnic’s head and wear it over his own face. No, he put it on a stick and challenged any omnic ballsy enough to come fight him in Spanish. Yet as he watches the two of them move he can understand how people who didn’t know them could come to view them as the untouchable beings who take no damage and are never hindered by the world around them. The new recruits haven’t experienced Gabriel’s love for airport paperbacks or Ana kicking their doors in on cleaning day. They don’t know Ana’s daughter, even as she stands among them. They don’t know how Ana makes the best hot chocolate and will sit with someone when they break down from a particularly bad mission. All they see are two of the world’s strongest, bravest people moving together as if they are the only thing that matters. 

Gabriel spins Ana out again and when he pulls her back in he catches her under her legs and hauls her upwards, spinning her over his shoulders and around his neck as Ana holds herself stiff enough that she won’t throw him off balance but loose enough that when she comes down her feet spread across the ground with ease. One of Gabriel’s hands slide up her neck before he takes a wide step back, hands dropping to spin Ana in place.

For a moment everyone in the crowd tenses as Gabriel steps away, sure that the man will let her fall face first, before they interrupt in cheers as Morrison slides in effortlessly. He pulls Ana straight up and presses against her back, one hand on her waist and the other walking down the length of her outstretched arm. They share a laugh as the two of them spin round and round, nowhere near as intimidating as when it was Gabriel and Ana but somehow just as memorizing. Beside him Fareeha lets out a loud gasp when Ana steps away and Gabriel takes her spot with a shit eating grin on his face. Gabriel and Jack are the same height but it’s easy to tell the difference between the two of them when they move like this. Gabriel’s body is more muscular, focused on his legs, from running and using his legs to knock down enemies while Jack’s body is more streamlined, meant to run in and break the line before falling back and doing it again. They run operations alongside their men but they’re two different men with two different styles.

Just as soon as the dance had started it ends with Ana between both men, Jack to her back and Gabriel to her front, the three of them with hands all over each other. They break away before the cheering starts but grin as it starts anyway. The crowd moves as one and people are breaking off now, a couple Overwatch agents tossing liquor bottles to waiting Blackwatch agents who pass the bottles around excitedly. Gabriel, Ana, and Jack are lost among the crowd as they join in the party but somehow Jesse manages to catch Gabriel’s eye, who grins and winks. It’s most likely his imagination but Jesse will swear that he can hear his commander’s laugh over the crowd when he turns away, face burning twice as badly as before. 

“I’m going to have to deal with people telling me my mom is hot now, holy shit. Jesse, I’m going to have to listen to these new recruits say what they want to do to my mom. This can’t be happening.” Fareeha turns to him, her mouth open in shock and eyes wide. She shuts her mouth with an audible click when she realizes that Jesse can’t meet her stare and Jesse can see her mind making the connections.

“No!” She exclaims, shoving him, “Absolutely not, Jesse McCree, _ibn kalb._ ” 

His apologies do nothing to calm her down and she keeps smacking at him as he laughs. Eventually she realizes that her hits aren’t doing any damage and she does a little jump, removing his hat from his head and disappearing into the crowd with promises of putting his most prized possession in the fountain outside. Jesse darts after her, half afraid, half amused, knowing that she’ll actually put his hat in the fountain but will pay the cost to get it cleaned.

He’ll wait until his hat is cleaned and a couple of extra days have passed before he tells her that it wasn’t just her mom that had been on his mind.

**Author's Note:**

> please listen to House of Memories by Panic at the Disco while watching this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3vsiiRK5GU
> 
> because that would be my inspiration
> 
> akh - brother  
> ummi- mother  
> ibn il-'aHba - son of a whore  
> imshi - go away (usually directed at kids)  
> chienne - bitch  
> Momken ashouf da? - Are you using this?  
> Allahi Yekhrib - God damn  
> ibn kalb - son of a dog (friendly insult)


End file.
